Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 test drive: 24 hours in Daytona

Meeting one of the most famous Ferrari models. And a few memories

In 1968, the Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 was the fastest production car in the world. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful Ferrari of all time. Soon after its 40th birthday, Daytona gave us one day in its life. Day report D.

Finally I stand before her. Before Ferrari 365 GTB/4. Before Daytona. And I already know that nothing prepared me for this meeting. I was a little nervous last week. To prepare for Daytona, I went to the summer bath with a new one. Mercedes-Benz SL 65 AMG - 612 hp, 1000 Nm of torque. But dear friends, I’ll say right away - compared to Daytona, even SL with 612 hp. and 1000 Nm are being driven as some Nissan Micra C+C received an unexpected power surge because they mistakenly poured a hundred tons of gasoline into its tank. On the contrary, the 365 GTB / 4 is about drama, passion and desire - everything that makes up the essence of a real Ferrari.

Ferrari stays true to the classic scheme

As in Formula 1, Ferrari designers have long remained true to the classic front-wheel drive scheme in their production twelve-cylinder cars. Although Lamborghini showed a modern layout with a central V1966 engine back in 12, the Ferrari 275 GTB/4 successor also has a Transaxle type drive. Maybe because of the principle - not to let Ferruccio Lamborghini triumph, seeing how his old enemy Ferrari perceives his ideas.

For Enzo Ferrari, Signor Lamborghini is just one of many opponents. Ferrari isn't even interested in its own cars if selling them makes enough money to race. Enzo Anselmo Ferrari has a passion for his own myth. For him it is more important than morality. And after the end of the war, Ferrari retained the title of "commander", which Mussolini appropriated to him.

Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 is considered the fastest production car

His drivers must be willing to pay with their lives for the privilege of being allowed to drive his race cars. He does not consider them worthy even of nuts from his table, which does not prevent him from shouting to Niki Lauda in 1977 that he would be sold to Brabham "for a few pieces of salami."

However, whatever we think of Enzo Ferrari, his passion and unquenchable desire to be better than everyone else pulsates in the image of Daytona. Leonardo Fioravanti, second director of Pininfarina, created the magnificent Berlinetta in 1966 "in a moment of true and deep inspiration." So he created one of the most beautiful sports cars of all time.

The V12 engine is a direct descendant of the engine built in 1947 by Gioachino Colombo for the 125 Sport. Over the years, the unit has acquired two camshafts on each row of cylinders and a longer unit due to the increased displacement up to 4,4 liters. Now it has 348 hp, accelerates 365 GTB / 4 to 274,8 km / h and makes it the fastest production car.

Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 has always cost at least as much as a house

Fritz Neuser, head of Scuderia Neuser in Nuremberg, hands me the keys to the 365 photo session. He asks if I can drive the car. I hear myself say “yes” – it sounds much more confident than I feel. I climb up and sink deep into the thin leather seat. The backrest reclines like a sun lounger and is not adjustable. Arms outstretched, I reach for the steering wheel and gear lever. The left foot presses the clutch pedal. The pedal does not move.

“Be careful with the starter,” warns Neuser, “if it spins too long, it will run out. It costs 1200 euros.” As if from the side, I notice that I am forced to smile until my leg finally breaks free of the clutch. It takes a tenth of a second for a fragile starter to turn the mighty V12. After a few long sips of high-octane gasoline, the engine calms down, nervous, accompanied by rattling of the valves at idle.

Before I leave, Neuser pokes his head out the window again and accompanies me with a phrase that will hang over my head like a bubble all day, as if I were a comic book character: "There is no Casco in the car, you are responsible for the damage." ...

A Ferrari 365 GTB/4 has always cost at least as much as a house with a yard. When the model debuted, its price in Germany was more than 70 marks, today it is about a quarter of a million euros. Somewhere in the middle of that period, during the Ferrari boom of the late 000s, it was worth two houses. Perhaps soon the car will again be released at the same prices. (At the moment, a Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 in good condition can be bought for 805 euros, and the original open version of the 000 GTS / 365 Spider for 4 euros - approx. Ed.) It turns out that yesterday was especially suitable for the proper disposal of my personal “civil liability” insurance and, in particular, the amount of damages and the terms of the contract »

Gently pull the gear lever along the open guide channels and lower it to the left in first gear. The V12 starts to bubble, the clutch engages, the Daytona pulls forward. It is difficult to drive around the city by car. Extreme effort on the steering wheel and pedals, hard-to-measure dimensions and, in addition, such a large turning circle, in a supermarket parking lot, just barely enough to turn.

Every ripple on the sidewalk hits me on the back without being filtered out by the suspension. At the same time, I have to concentrate on the task of shifting gears with a clean click and avoid the small cars lurking at intersections to get in the way of Daytona. There were no empty seats in my head because of fears at the thought of what unimaginable value I decided to break through traffic jams during rush hour.

Ferrari itself remains much quieter than me. The coolant and 16 liters of oil from the dry sump lubrication system heats up slowly, within the optimum temperature range. The four-camshaft engine pulls easily and effortlessly at low revs. Not only does he like a little trot with low revs, but he needs to press the accelerator pedal harder from time to time.

Finally, I'm on the highway. I accelerate boldly - and keep somewhere around 120 km / h in third gear, which I could accelerate to almost 180. However, I have already reached 5000 rpm, and it is difficult for me to describe how angry 365 screams at me, how he wants scare me, but show me that I'm too weak for him. Actually, I shouldn't take it all that seriously - he's just a yawning dog, baring his teeth, and saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. He tries to run on every track cut out of trucks, simulating weak brakes - but everything is in plain sight, he just wants to scare me. And he succeeds. Because he growls terribly. God - how he only growls!

With a timid movement, I jerk the gear lever and engage my heel. Daytona is no longer buzzing anymore. Now he just laughs at me.

I don't know if it's me or the rear view mirror. In any case, I manage to see an Audi A4 TDI in it with garlands of daytime running lights. Some commercial traveler is clearly going to catch up with me. I can't stand this shame. Clutch. Again on the third. Full throttle. As two fuel pumps pumped fuel into six twin-barrel carburetors, the Ferrari shuddered at first, then sped forward. A few seconds - and Daytona speed is already 180. My pulse too. But, on the other hand, A4 gave up; this could only be reflected by the V12 sound wave.

All of this didn't seem to make much of an impression on Daytona, but we have a convention - I don't show anything that I control, in exchange for which I get to do a few quiet laps trying to achieve a rock star expression. Daytona shows good manners, but despite them, there is always a very fast car, which in 1968 was even twice as fast as the average maximum for the then cars. Back then, driving at 250 km/h still required real skill and respect for the car. Today you step on the accelerator pedal of an SL 65 AMG and before the stereo plays your favorite disc, you are already floating around the track with a 200 without even noticing it, because at that moment the fans in the headrest are blowing so pleasantly on the back of your head ...

Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 - the exact opposite of a turntable

Although high speeds require tension, the Daytona continues to be a great road car. There, the suspension no longer transmits such harsh shocks, and the complex chassis with independent four-wheel suspension and balanced weight distribution – from 52 to 48 percent – ​​provides safe handling that was unique for the XNUMXs and can be overcome today. somewhat decent.

On narrow roads, the GTB/4 runs into trouble due to its size. This is the complete opposite of the player. In order to be forced into a corner, the steering wheel must turn with incredible force, and in the limit mode of adhesion, it begins to understeer. However, one light pressure on the gas is always enough - and the butt moves to the side.

Sooner or later, a straight section reappears. Daytona lunges at him, eats him, and tosses the remains as a distorted image in the rearview mirror. Even then, the car seemed more civilized and sophisticated than later mid-12 models such as the Testarossa, whose behavior today is somewhat stallion-like.

We take pictures until the evening, after which Daytona should return. As she hurries home down the deserted highway, her rising headlights cast narrow cones of light onto the pavement. Daytona roars again, but this time to give me courage - we can be in Rome or London for breakfast. For dinner - in Palermo or Edinburgh.

And when you wear the 365 GTB/4 at night, you realize that Europe can be small for an entire day with the Daytona - if you're up for it.

Text: Sebastian Renz

Photo: Hardy Muchler, archive.

BULGARIAN DAYTON

Kyrdjali, 1974. For the soldiers of the new recruitment to the 87th Artillery Regiment, the service dragged on hard and infinitely slowly, in the unbearable expectation of almost two more years spent away from their native Sofia. But one day a miracle happens. The Ferrari 365 GTB4 Daytona endures like a white angel with a fiery look and an unearthly voice on the sleepy streets of the city. If the flying saucer had landed at that moment in the middle of the square, it would hardly have had a stronger effect. Imagine a city where the black Volga is the pinnacle of luxury, and the modest Zhiguli is the standard of technical excellence, accessible to the few. In this setting, the beautiful white Ferrari looks like it came from another galaxy.

Like many other phenomena, there is a banal explanation for this - just the famous motorcycle racer Jordan Toplodolski came to visit his son, who served in an artillery regiment. looking for in Bulgarian motorsport.

Mr. Toplodolski, how did your father become the owner of a Ferrari?In 1973 my father became the rally champion of the socialist camp. The circles were attended by representatives of both the socialist countries and other countries. All of them were in Western cars - in general, serious racing. In addition, Jordan Toplodolski was the head of the Motorsport Department at VIF, a department he himself founded.

Obviously, these merits prompted the leadership of the Bulgarian Motorsport Federation under the chairmanship of Borislav Lazarov to offer the car to my father. This was an unprecedented precedent for those years. The Ferrari itself was confiscated by Sofia customs and handed over to the SBA.

Then, in 1974, about 20 thousand kilometers remained before the car. Everything in it was original: between the two heads of the 000-cylinder engine there were six double jumpers - one chamber for each cylinder. The engine had a dry sump and a pump that pumped oil while the engine was running. All-wheel drive disc brakes, five-spoke alloy wheels, five-speed transmission, open groove lever movement.

Did your father let you drive?In fact, from 1974 to 1976 I drove more than he did, even though I was in the barracks at the time. Then my father raced almost constantly, and I was lucky enough to drive a Ferrari - I was only 19, I had a license for a year, and the car raised 300 km / h (speedometer) from the Eagle Bridge to the Pliska Hotel.

How much did he spend?Depending on the ride. If you want a consumption of 20 liters - drive slowly. If you want 40, go faster. If you want 60, even faster.

One day my father and I went to the sea. At the exit from Karnobat, we stopped at a trap - beer on the grill. There he forgot the documents and money that were in the bag. When we arrived in Burgas and wanted to buy something, we found that there was no bag. Then we got into the car, returned to Karnobat, and my father stepped on it very hard. It was like in a movie - we were chasing car after car and cutting them without slowing down, which was very high. We got to Karnobat in about twenty minutes. People put the bag, money, everything is fine.

How does it feel to drive?The dashboard was trimmed with a special suede fabric. The car had power steering, so the leather steering wheel was not very big. Compared to Lamborghini, our Ferrari GTB was lighter, but it had to be very careful to drive it without letting go of the accelerator, because otherwise the rear end would move.

Only children, not very large ones, could ride in the two rear seats. The trunk was small, but the front torpedo was huge. And the ass was very beautiful - just unique. It stood very well on the road as long as you were careful with the gas.

Do you remember that visit to Kardzhali?When my father first came to Kardzhali in his Ferrari, I was in custody. Then he brought the car himself, it was standing in front of the hotel "Bulgaria". My friends and I escaped from the squadron for a ride, we wore wigs, and they did not recognize us in the city.

And how did they look at this car in Kardzhali?As an everywhere. It was impossible to appear somewhere and become the center of attention.

Where in Bulgaria could you drive a Ferrari? Today, the owners of such vehicles choose new sections of highways or visit highways, for example, in Serres.Well, they drove around Sofia and the surrounding area. I remember driving it to the airport along the old Plovdiv road before reconstruction. On both sides of the road there were local lanes, it was relatively wide next to the military corps, and from there it continued on the usual road to Gorublyan.

The main problem was gasoline - they had just raised the price, about 70 stotinki. And this dragon is not satisfied. The tank was a hundred liters, and I saw it full only once. That's why you don't drive all day and wait for the evening when people come out to circle. I loved to walk around Rakovski and get everyone's attention. And this great sound ... Then the girls wore short skirts, and the seats were at such an angle that as soon as the lady sat down, her skirt automatically rose ...

However, one had to be careful because the car was low. There were four mufflers under the floor, and from time to time we hung up various bumps in the road with them.

And what about spare parts and consumables - discs, pads, mufflers?

I had to customize - tires from Chaika, the disks were not changed. Once the ferromagnetic clutch disc was smoked, then the ferro was forged.

The wheels had a central nut and a three-legged glove that was unscrewed in the opposite direction of rotation of the wheel. We didn't have a special tool, so we carefully worked them out with a pipe and a hammer.

Everything in the car was original, but the parts were incredibly expensive. Because the windshield was broken, my father bought a new one from West Germany, but it cracked again in the middle during transmission. I had to ride with stickers - there was no other way out.

The carburetor alignment was the most difficult. It is very difficult to set them up in parallel so that each cylinder works optimally.

How often did you have to correct it? It depends - for example, on gasoline. Low octane causes detonation and we didn't always ride with the best quality.

How did you break up with your Ferrari?My father fell seriously ill, underwent a major operation, and since such a car could not be serviced, he decided to sell it. He took 16 leva from him - at that time it was the price of two new varnishes. It was bought by three - television technicians, who united, but then abandoned. The car has been standing in the open air near the station for about a year. It was repainted in some kind of yellow, rather ugly, then bought by a major who hosted a military club (then CDNA) for a long time. Later, collectors from Italy contacted him and convinced him to replace the Daytona with a white Lamborghini, I already forgot which model.

I'm sure that even today, if someone passes this Ferrari through the center of Sofia, everyone will turn to it - despite the fact that the city is now full of modern cars. Just a combination of beautiful lines, long torpedo, tight ass and great sound attracts any audience.

Interview with the editor of the Auto Motor und Sport magazine Vladimir Abazov

Daytona designer Leonardo Fioravanti

When an Italian is called Leonardo and he is engaged in the visual arts, this naturally raises certain expectations. Leonardo Fioravanti (1938) worked at Pininfarina from 1964 to 1987, first as an aerodynamicist and later as a designer.

As the second director of the Pininfarina design studio, he designed the Daytona in 1966. Today Fioravanti talks about the creation of the 365 GTB / 4:

“I designed the car in a week. No compromises. Without the influence of marketers. All alone. Thanks to Daytona, I have made my personal dream of a sports car come true – in a moment of real and deep inspiration.

When I showed my sketches to Signor Pininfarina, he immediately wanted to show them to Enzo Ferrari. The commandant immediately approved the projects.

They called me "Mr. Daytona." This probably best illustrates the importance of 365 GTB / 4 in my life. Of all the cars I've designed, the Daytona is my favorite. "

In 1987 Leonardo Fioravanti founded his own design studio.

MODEL HISTORY

1966: First sketches of the successor to the Ferrari 275 GTB / 4.

1967: Making the first prototype.

1968: Ferrari 365 GTB / 4 unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October.

1969: Serial production of the Berlinetta in Scaglietti begins in January.

1969: the open Spider 365 GTS / 4 debuted. A few weeks later at the Paris Motor Show, Pininfarina unveiled the 365 GTB / 4 version with a hardtop and removable rear window.

1971: Lifting headlights have been introduced in accordance with US law. Spider supplies start

1973: End of production of the Berlinetta (1285 copies) and the Spider. Of the 127 versions available today, around 200 have survived as many coupes have undergone further transformation.

1996: Production begins on the 550 Maranello, Ferrari's next two-seater, front-mounted V12 engine.

technical details

Ferrari 365 GTB/4
Working volume	4390 cc
Power	348 k.s. (256 kW) at 6500 rpm
Maximum torque	432 Nm at 5400 rpm
Acceleration 0-100 km / h	6,1 with
Braking distances at a speed of 100 km / h	no data
full speed	274,8 km / h
Average consumption fuel in the test	25 l / 100 km
Base Price	€ 805 (in Germany, comp. 000)